Blackguards is enjoyable enough for diehard strategy fans, but nagging bugs and a poor UI keep it from its full potential.

If you can play this on a computer, do so. If you already own The Sims 2 for PS2 and are considering paying full price again to get the Pets feature, don't.

If you want some decent online multiplayer action and don't mind being nickeled and dimed for your trouble, CCBO may be worth a look. The mission variety, consistent skill curve, and twitch-based gameplay of the title distinguish it from the hotkey-laden affairs that others offer. However, it simply does not deliver on the long-term appeal or rewards that a great MMO should.

The actual gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, but as recent Silent Hills go, this is one of the better ones.

Serial Cleaners' main problem is that it's kind of a wasted opportunity. There's room for a game like this on the market, and it's stylishly presented enough that it could easily garner an audience of obsessive stealth-loving cleaners. It just doesn't achieve the necessary tension to make it a compelling stealth game and its mechanics are too open to abuse to reward careful play and smart decisions. As a result, the potential thrill that it could have been is lost.

If you can make it past the old-fashioned controls and have the will to face its relentless challenge, Prinny 2 is an operation worth engaging in. Just remember that throwing your PSP out of frustration is a bad idea.

Zoos are special and Zoo Tycoon captures that nicely. The sometimes disappointing limitations and even the dreadful menus don’t take away enough from the overall package to prevent it from earning a recommendation, particularly for animal lovers and families.

Other low-budget signifiers include some bland-looking riders and effects, not to mention few "known" artists on the soundtrack. But in the areas that really count – offering a compelling, substantial simulation of the sport – Stoked is the best option for virtual powder fiends we've seen in some time.

EDF 2025 makes the most of repetitive gameplay with its charming over-the-top vibe. The new classes do a lot to mix up the straightforward formula; the online co-op, sadly, does not.

It's this progressive difficulty that makes Joust just as intense today as it was 20 years ago, and a welcome addition to the Live Arcade for those who fondly recall the Defender days of yore.

Rani and Becks are an appealing duo to share adventures with, but they deserve something more exciting than The Gunk has to offer.

A great game to play with a friend or sibling, and it's as easy as walking in and out of the camera's view. But what the game excels at is that it harnesses the charm, personality, and high-quality visuals that the property is known for.

The dungeons are well-designed, the action is well-balanced and fun, and even the characters are likeable. This is a must-have for any action-RPG fan or anyone looking for something different on the DS.

If the developer could have just tightened up a few minor technical issues and injected a little more soul into the proceedings, this might have been Spidey's best game yet. Instead, it’s just a satisfyingly entertaining experience and a big step back in the right direction.

A very strong multiplayer offering tarnished by overly complicated character progression, and a lavish, beautiful story campaign lacking in substance or subtlety.

A novel mecha-based take on the hero shooter that delivers the pilot fantasy with style and feels like what a modern-day team-based Virtual On might be. Yet, while more approachable in its hero and extraction shooter guises, it also lacks deeper level customization in favor of more shallow cosmetics delivered with aggressive microtransactions.

It's only disappointing that Brink feels so confined by its own premise. Its innovative mechanics far outdo its lifeless, confining story, and, while respectable, its pure focus on multiplayer, team-based objective matches confines it further...Brink is still a very good game, and it deserves notation - just below Team Fortress 2 - as an exemplary team-based shooter.

The world that it all takes place in is amazing on terms of size and beauty. However, this is a hardcore MMO designed first and foremost for devoted players with lots of time to invest - just to get to level 10 will take you a few days, whereas you can hit that level in "WoW" in a long afternoon.

Yes, the action can get tedious over time, as you realize that strategy takes a back seat to cheap super-moves and quick fingers. But there's something here.

It’s our favorite baseball game of the season, even if it’s really just an action game dressed up in pinstripes.

Part sci-fi body horror, part thrilling detective yarn, Slitterhead is a story of humanity versus monstrosity in a city where both are plentiful. Bokeh's debut release bravely takes strides to manipulate, challenge, and evolve how we play horror games, and while some of these risks do not pay off as well as others, Slitterhead's sheer creative ambition is impossible to ignore.

Not everyone is going to appreciate the deliberate humor or the bad acting found in EDF 2017 Portable, but those who want a solid arcade shooter that offers plenty of challenge are sure to come back for more.

If you can look past the last-last-gen flaws that absolutely should be gone by now, there’s a totally playable bit of gaming here that’ll scratch your RPG itch for the time being.

Evoking the essence of late-'90s platforming without significantly modernising it, Yooka-Laylee is a game with noble aspirations, grounded by clumsily flawed execution.

It’s absolutely functional and undeniably one of a kind, the product of a truly creative mind - but it’s so atypical and requires so much effort to appreciate that very few will find it truly worthwhile.

The game isn’t great, but its much better than you’d expect, and certainly worth the purchase if you’re buying it for a youngster.

Fast, frenetic, and frequently spectacular in scale, Lost Planet 2 will do the job if you have an itchy destruction finger, and provides some fun and well thought-out times in co-op. But ultimately, it's just all about the carnage, and frequently seems to have no care for the needs of the solo player.

QuickSpot delivers exactly what it promises, nothing more, nothing less. Some may be disappointed with the lack of in-depth gameplay, but that's not what this game is about. For what it's intended to be, QuickSpot nails it.

If you can get past these problems, The Undergarden is a competent puzzle game with beautiful (if a bit samey) art and music direction, a light hearted concept, and an absolutely adorable protagonist.

The story is also new and not half bad, revolving around the theft of a shipment of lightsaber crystals and a shadowy cabal of force-using goth mommas called the Nightsisters.

It's a snap to learn and a breeze to play, whether tackling one of its half-dozen goal-driven scenarios or wrangling with a few friends online.

Blackgate doesn't overstay its welcome, clocking in around a lean 6 hours; completionists can expect to take closer to 8 hours tracking down every last object. And while much of Blackgate feels like an attempt to emulate bigger and better Batman games, it's still quite enjoyable in its own right.

Shadows of Almia is longer than the first Pokemon Ranger game, and there’s still a lot of charm here. It’s just that the game backing up that charm is too simple and too familiar for us to recommend to any but the youngest, more easily pleased of pokemaniacs.

Consider Legend of Heroes a satisfying snack that will tide you over until a must-have PSP RPG main course is served.

Project Cars 3 is a great way to get into sim racing for newcomers thanks to its overtly gamey career mode, but the move into proper ‘simcade’ territory feels odd and unfulfilling.

Although NASCAR 07 remains pretty much the same decent core game as last year's model, this year's model is just a little more fun for newcomers and a little more chaotic for long-time racers.

Ultimately, Bone: Out From Boneville is probably too lightweight, too easy and unsophisticated for most adventure gamers... but don't hold that against it.

Lost in Shadow comes together to form a unique package and is often inspired in its complex play of light and shadow. It's a fun game that sometimes frustrates, but also really works your brain's capacity for spatial awareness.

Despite TDU2's lack of realism and a force-fed story-mode, the game does provide an open-world experience that very few titles have succeeded with in the past.

While The Ascent is a true visual showcase for the Xbox Series X, it lacks depth and clarity. There's a fun game in here, but it's ultimately overburdened.

Despite its many issues, MLB 2K12 packs a significant punch when it comes to the nuts-and-bolts of big league baseball. We're excited about taking a couple of teams through the season. Unfortunately, it's just too ordinary-looking and choppy-playing to appeal to a wider audience. For all its good points, a game of this stature should be more polished at this stage of the franchise's existence.

So while Wii Party manages to remain entertaining by the sheer numbers of minigames and occasional clever Wiimote usage, the bland presentation and lackluster board games bring it down.

Costume Quest 2 is more treat than trick. Some unfortunate repetition means it’s best enjoyed in moderation, but it’s still colourful, sweet and slightly addictive.

These minor quibbles never prevent the game from being fun, though.

Shadow Assassin's flaws are easily forgiven though because the end package is just too great to hold a grudge.

Platforming fans are unlikely to find anything revolutionary here, but it goes about its business with a welcome sense of brio. Hell Yeah! might want to send you to Hell, but at least it intends to do it while putting a smile on your face.

The sporadic and rote boss battles don't ooze as much personality - sitting back and shooting rocks at eyes on stalks as they open isn't exactly epic - and none of the grunt henchman, from reptiles to rhinoceros beetles, provide any combat challenge against Scrat's surprisingly powerful kicks and frantic tail-smacks.

Everything's so crisp and workable that it's hard not to just smile and deal with all the little problems that try to bring the game down.

Even if you’re just itching for something different, you should try it out for the novelty alone: it uses the DS’s capabilities in a fun and unique way, even if it’s a few steps away from being a true classic.

In the final analysis, the Conquest Mode alone helps turn NBA 07 from a lottery pick into an 8th seed - good enough to make the playoffs but far too flawed for a run for the title.

Casual gamers who dug Wii Sports and Brain Age will love it - everyone else might wonder what all the commotion is about and go back to waiting for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Be warned, though: this is the simplest Tony Hawk to date. We hardcore Hawk-ers are left with little more than finding all the Gaps for a hardcore, extended experience.

It boldly straddles the line between pick-up-and-play and hardcore simulation in a way that's nothing short of refreshing on a system that's currently caught under an avalanche of mind numbingly simplistic "casual" games.

With a lackluster graphical update and no compelling additions outside of new achievements and SmartGlass integration, Fable Anniversary is an HD redux strictly for die-hard franchise fans only.

Soulstice does itself no favours by borrowing heavily from Bayonetta, and then falls short of its inspiration in every area. At best this is a functional but uninspired character action game. At worst it's a poor appreciation of the genre's finer points, stacking up systems that detract from the purity of exhilarating combat.

Fortune Street is one of those games that isn't going to appeal to everyone, but those it does appeal to will be totally enthralled with it despite its handful of annoyances. If you like Monopoly but wish the strategy were a little more robust, Fortune Street is game you've been waiting for.

If you absolutely love to be beaten into submission by a game, perhaps BB will serve as your cruel mistress, but you will have to wrestle with the controls. Anyone looking for simply some 2D action to pass the time should stay the heck away, unless you think you have a secret masochist inside.

Jett: The Far Shore is a frustrating jaunt through space, with a stunning world and narrative let down by clunky, awkward controls.

Rango isn't a revolutionary action-platform release, but it is a legitimately well-made title built in the mold of the some of the genre's best, and it genuinely engaged us throughout much of the adventure. Sadly, it doesn't last for long.

In an arcade-style game, anything that requires the player to take a break from shooting is a questionable call. We’re okay with reloading, but handicapping us with awkward controls is just uncool.

Battlefield 2042 is a strong foundation for future expansion. DICE's multiplayer-only FPS has scale and spectacle, but there are elements in need of careful refinement and optimization.

We're not harping on how simple the game is (in fact, this is great for casual players), but there's only so much brick-busting one can take before it's time to move on.

If you're looking for groundbreaking gameplay and a thrilling story - or even differences between the Xbox and PS2 versions, other than HD support for Xbox - you'll be disappointed. Justice League Heroes is a pretty standard action RPG that's neither offensive nor alluring.

The peculiar marriage of Scribblenauts and your favorite comic book heroes makes for an entertaining weekend plaything, but it quickly falls victim to the pitfalls beleaguering the rest of the games in this imaginative yet flawed series.

Sure, the story isn't high-concept, but this gameplay is really all about fighting and collecting increasingly mean and exotic critters. And on that level, Digimon World Dusk/Dawn delivers in spades.

It plays to the DS' strengths, and when it all clicks, it's a lot of fun. Just be prepared to brute force your way through a lot of frustrating misfires if you decide to go for it.

Basically, a hectic, good time. But is a simple puzzle game worth the same amount of cash as, say, New Super Mario Bros.? We have to say no, though if you're not interested in regular games, or just really need a puzzle fix, Magnetica should fit the bill.

Even with this lack of focus Deadlight is a fun game with wonderful fast platforming segments and magnificent art direction. But in the end the style stands tall, and the substance is but a shadow of what it could have been.

The Falconeer boasts an intriguing story and a hauntingly beautiful setting, but is hampered by repetitive missions in an empty open world.

All cake and no icing. As long you're prepared to handle that, this could be the best $40 you'll ever spend.

Though it's a little too short and a little too expensive, the mostly unseen world outside the Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace is charming and impressive, and absolutely worth experiencing.

It's possible Need for Speed The Run won't provide as many hours of entertainment as previous NFS games, but then it packs in unique events and some incredibly exciting chase sequences, meaning it packs a lot of entertainment-per-hour. It's not very forgiving of mistakes, but then it provides greater rewards as a result.

If you have any love for the little rodents left once you’re done, go ahead and buy G-Force for your home console. Otherwise, wait until the game inevitably finds its way into the bargain bin, and then pick it up if you’re curious.

Taken as a whole, Infinite Undiscovery’s a game with a bit of an identity crisis. When it’s acting like a run-of-the-mill JRPG, it feels clichéd, but reasonably enjoyable. When it tries to be innovative, however, its unsatisfying combat, superfluous subsystems and wasted ensemble cast make the whole experience feel half-hearted.

When the level mechanics still depend on mashing the attack button mindlessly for minutes at a time, with no real cue as to when to stop, no amount of snappy dialogue or Tim Burton-esque scenery will make it fun to play.

Phantasy Star Universe, in the end, is just more of the same thing: simple dungeon crawling. It's fun online; it's not fun offline. This is a hard one to rate, as it's pretty convoluted.

It’s a nice package overall, though we can’t help but wish there had been more: additional games, development art, pics of the arcade cabinets, movies of great players or the anime, cheesecake drawings of the bouncy Mai Shiranui – anything.

Ultimately we made a key realization that finally let us come to acceptance: AC5 is not a fantastic single-player game, but it can be a great multiplayer one.

A game of inspired highs diluted with pedestrian lows. Worthy, but achieves less than its true potential.

Coffee Stain goes big but remains shallow for Goat Simulator 3. A more ambitious sandbox and impressive customisation options aside, this is still the same gag about a weak-kneed farm animal, with a punchline that ultimately outstays its welcome.

These Rabbits make an amazing fling, but you won't want to buy them breakfast.

Much like a lot of the arcade games back then, Golden Axe is fairly short and doesn't have a lot of replayability, as every enemy will appear in the exact same spot every time you play, and there are no branching paths. But for 400 MS points, a classic brawler with functional online play is something that belongs in your Live Arcade library.

If you stick with the smaller campaigns, you can focus on mastering the interface and designing the ultimate space fleet. Sometimes Space Empires V takes its commitment to customization too far, but there’s never any doubt who the emperor is.

And yet, one of the best things about Jewel Quest is its own obsessing with its silly backstory.

Riviera feels like an RPG in more than just the sense that numbers appear over the heads of the bad guys you hit, which is becoming harder and harder to find these days.

Each season presents even more new additions and mechanics that will delight series fans. If you can get past the excruciatingly long first season, Two Towns will keep you entertained for a very long time.

Despite following a basic format of dungeon exploration, Legasista provides enough additional components to give players a fulfilling experience. Though the feeling tends to wear thin over longer play sessions, it feels good surviving through dungeons with a pocketful of treasure knowing that your preparations paid off.

Dustborn is a unique visual novel-style adventure that brings combat and even a rhythm game to its sometimes-intense choice-driven dystopian world, where your decisions matter. But it often gets in its own way, mechanically and otherwise.

If this were a downloadable title on WiiWare, Xbox Live Arcade, or PlayStation Network, it's a safe bet that we'd be telling you to go fire up your console and start it downloading right now.

A solid football title that you probably don’t need to play. Make some roster adjustments to 08 (or even 07) or, better yet, make the move to next-gen consoles and start soaking in some big-time NFL atmosphere. Your $40 will thank you.

For those who loved the arcade hit, this is a long-awaited must-have. But even if you're a newcomer to the series, Beatmania is a fun, rhythmic button-masher that will turn you into a fan.

Ultimately, Simpsons Arcade is much richer with history than it is with content, but we'd easily play this over Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge.

There's an accessibility to the gameplay mechanics that will appeal to dabblers, and the variety of gear, numerous leaderboards, and late-game difficulty cry out to a hardcore fanbase that enjoys those classically sadistic shoot-em-ups.

This remake of MediEvil isn't all that fun to play in 2019, but it's still too much of a Halloween treat to dislike.

Enjoyable combat and bold enemy design can't save Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. With a dull, repetitive story that abandons any sense of horror, it's a shadow of what it could have been.

Open Roads' mother-daughter travelog about discovering long-buried family secrets is heartfelt, but this lightweight driving adventure doesn't reach the momentum of the mystery it so carefully maps out.

While it's amazing that Eidos was able to cram the entire game into the PSP, it simply doesn't excuse the fact that they broke it in the cramming.

Like a fast food burger, Dungeon Hunter: Alliance is a generic mishmash of tasty ingredients that crudely satiates your appetite, but it's nothing particularly special. Though unfortunately, at $12.99, it's definitely not on the value menu.